SINGLE REVIEW: Cedar – I'm Gone
As someone who grew up in a small Norfolk town and knows all about the claustrophobic churn of “small town mentality,” this track hit hard. Cedar, from Gibraltar, tap into that exact feeling on ‘I’m Gone’. The numb repetition, the walls closing in, the same conversations, the same faces, day after day. That itch under the skin that makes you want to scream, bolt, burn it all down just to feel something different. The song captures that tension perfectly: raw, loud, unpredictable, and soaked in frustration.
It opens with a daunting, atmospheric swell before smashing into crashing drums and screaming, whirring guitars. The sound is textured and theatrical, almost overwhelming, but always controlled. Vocals are gritty and commanding, packed with emotion and self-assurance, even as they teeter on the edge of manic. There is a tribal undercurrent in the instrumentation that reflects the monotony of being stuck in one place, repeating the same routines. But the band break free from that too, shifting into dynamic, enthralling sections that flex their creativity without losing direction.
The tempo lull near the centre offers one of the track’s most powerful moments. It is almost a cappella at first, then brought back to life with pulsating drums and a vocal shift into something sharper, almost nu-metal in tone. It is unexpected, but it works. That moment of near-collapse followed by resurgence mirrors the emotional spiral at the core of the track. Desperation, release, repeat.
‘I’m Gone’ is not just heavy. It is thoughtful and deliberate. Alt-rock grandeur, post-rock noise, and metal’s ferocity all play a part, but it is the emotional truth underneath that sticks. Cedar have captured the unspoken rage and mental noise that builds in a place too small to hold your thoughts. For those of us who have lived it, this is not just a song. It is a mirror.
